Centrifugal swing.



Nn. 822,852. PATBNTED JUNE 5, 1906. B.. H. GASSWBLL. GBNTRIFUGAL SWNG.

APPLIGATIGN FILED APR. 28. 1905.

NTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RTCEABD H. CASSW'ELL Q? TLCGEE CANADA, SSilSlQR TG GERGE G. SHBY.

CE PITRFUGL S'WNG.

Spociication of Letters Patent,

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application led Api-E28, 3.995. Serial No. QQQSL ai', Vancouver, in the Province of Briisii iCol lumbia, Canada, have invented s new and useful lrnproyeinent in Centrifugal Swings;y oi' Wiiioh the following is o speciiicntion` My invention relates to a centrifugal swing designed as an attraction Jfor fairs, ras., and belongs to that class wherein e.. series of passenger-cars are freely suspended from n, rotatable framework, so that. es the freine is rotated the cars will swing outward and np- Werfl by the centrifugal force of snoli rotation and the invention is directed to the iniprovenicnt in the structure of the latforni and the means for supporting it wit out dependence on e central pivot, so that the prinipsl support. is innneilietely beneath ille The irnproxfement isnlso in the construction of Lire ironie which supports the elcniens and in the design of suoli elements to withstand the strains due to eooeii iliusreted in Fig.

eration or retardation of rotoionel spendi' These improvements have been introdnoerif with s; general simplification of strno'rnrrnrV which is fully described in the following specification and illustrated in die drawings ers, is n series of ments 23?, each of which is which accompany it, in which;

Fignre 1 is s. vertiosl section through lle swing, showing the strnoturelrnnienforl in eleretioin 'one cenrrnl support being reinow'od to show in elevation the peripheral snppori- Wheels; Fig. 2, e plan of the sanno; Fig. 3, a deteil of the central axial supportJ of the pleiiorni. Fig. 4 shows in cross-section an albernntive annular snppori for the platform, which support is located about tile onse oi' the rnesto,

The device consists of e circuler platform 2, ille frames of which rodioie from a, center piece B, es rornthe hub of e Wheel,Y end this conter piece 3 is mounted on n iiollow axial support 7, wliicliris designed to sustain the Weight of the center poriion of the platform 2 and to maintain the platform in its axis oi rotation. The open renter of 3 is provide-cl with an annnlor'innfarri injection 4 about the middle of its depth, Wlnohennuler projection rests upon e series of balls 5, carried on the baseflafnge 8 of the hollow axial support 7:, While o seoond series of balls 6 rests on the upper side of folie annuler progeotion 4, With this construction the weight of ille :conter art of tho lsrfonn is su porren from tlio onndaiion )y the ring of grills 5 under the annular prog'eciion 4, while the rings of onlie side oi' T and the inner side of 3` to maintain the platforniin iis exis oi rota-tion. ,A cover plete 9, seourod o ille support 7 protects lie )ell-besrings roni dirt` and provides o circoli egsins any inndoney of the platform io lift,

'lirongh the hollow axial support may be ieri the for lighting the swi nf or ie lend of any rnenns oi power trensinisssranIi if it should be onnrl desirable 1.o rotaie the swing by n nioor on the platform.

The main Weight of the platform and its superstruoiure is sustained toward the out-er circumference oi' the pletforni3 roferably on of small wheels 1Q or rol ersB es slmwn in Fig, i, which are desi noci to roil round bonrfen n track 11 on tie onnrln-ion end a, i2orresprni1ling track 12 on the nndnr sifle of the pleii'orm i?. lf preferred, lie Weight of ille onnr platform ma. f be sn pionierij es 4, on linlis erween V- races 16 and l? on tbe fornuis-tion anni nlniorn, res.peclair-'olijfi Y o iornni the outer eri of he platformg e vproxirnezely over ige annuler support-rollstepped into a socket. provided et positions eqniriistent from the center of the platform and from one nnolier. These masts are inclinerl outward ai; their up er ends ind are there tied smi braced toget 1er circumferentielly by members 2l, capable of reoixing compression as well es tensile strains. Tire upper enne of ille masts are also stayo by wire ropes raro of which entend from each mest to ille :ripper ends of two masts, two spaces apart, on the o )posito side of olio circln These stays 22 om the several nialstsniill therefore cross onennorlier et :i considerable Stanno from the center of the structure eno xviii Vbe clam d to one another at. selorfnripoints of such 1nirerspotions as to Arennen a system of cross-staying which WilY impart sabiiity and rigidity to the structnre onli which will resist radial strains. Each mast is stayed oggnsb int-eral i ending et the middle bV Wire ropes 23, which extend from toward t e up er end of earch mast io 'e bend encircling eac arijnoeni; mast toniiddle length, enrol these stays 23 are 5 and 6 silorci e homing Kbetween lilo outer V IOO thereafter secured to the foot of the mast they start from. These stays thus form an efficient system of diagonal cross-bracing between the :uljacent masts. The masts are stayed against outward bending at the middle by stays 24, which extend between the masts at the position of mid attachment of the diagonal stays, and tie the whole series together. These stays 24. may also be made to act as compression members. An open framework is thus provided, stayed` and braced together in an efficient and simple manner, which framework affords the support for the swing elements which arc suspended between the adjacent masts.

Each swing element consists of a cross-bar 25, suspended at each end by wire ropes 2G to the adjacent masts, so as to hang between them, and. diagonal .vire-rope stays 27 are carried from each end of the cross-bars 25 to the upper end of the other 'mast of the pair. From this cross-bar 25 the passenger cars 3f) are suspended in any appropriate manner that will permit of the free movement of the car outward under the action of centrifugal force. A

The manner in which l prefer to suspend the cars is illustrated in the drawings, a stay 28 being carried from each outer corner of the car to the adjacent ends of the cross-bar 25 and stays 29 from the sides of the car intermediate to the ends. This construction not only more effectually sustains the weight of the car, but also by the diagonal character of the stays 29 of the car-support and the stays` 27 of the swing elements will maintain the cars steady under the effect of an acceleration or retardation of the rotational effort on the swing, and the free suspension of the car structure to the swing will permit the car to take its true position under centrifugal force, and thus afford a more natural support to the passengers who may occupy the cars. Attention is drawn to this feature because in swings of this characten which have been previously invented, an attempt has been made to maintain the bottom of the cars in a horizontal position, which is an incorrect and unnatural one, for the passengers in the cars are also under the infiuence of centrifugal force and require some measure of support against the outward tendency.

The platform 2 with its superstructure may be rotated by any suitable means, either by mechanism on the platform itself or from an exterior source of power. The means of rotation employed is not material to this application; but in the drawings the platform is shown as rotatable by a rope around a V- groove sheave 18, secured to the under side of the platform-frame.

I ain aware that centrifugal swings have previously been used and patented, wherein the swing elements have been suspended from a rotatable framework; but such has either been accomplished by elevating the rotatablc platform to which the swing elements were attached on a structure high enough to afford the length of swing desired or the swings have been suspended from a 'framed structure of sufficient height, dependent on a center mast about which the structurt` turned as on a pivot. Either of these structures open to objection on the ground ofthe expense of building and because neither of them are convenient to take down and pack for transportation, whereas by careful consideration of imposed strains and the adaptation of the design and material to the requirements of such l have produced a swing which is as cheap as practicable commensurate with the requirements of strength, and the design is also especially Vfitted for rapid construction and convenient transport.

The particular manner of connecting thc various parts is not revealed in th's application; but they are designed to facilitate the transport and erection referred to.

llaving now particularly described the construction of my invention, I hereby declare that what l claim as new, and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is

l. ln a centrifugal swing, a rotatable platform, an upwariily-projecting annular frame near the periphery thereof, swing elements suspended from the upper portion of said frame, an annular rolling support vfor the platform approximately under the base of the upwardly-projecting annular frame, substantially as shown and described.

2. ln a centrifugal swing, a rotatable platform, an upwardy-projecting annular frame near the outer edge thereof, swing elements suspended from the upper portion of said frame, a central support for the platform to maintain it in its axis of rotation and an annular rolling support for the platform approximatcly under the upwardly-projecting annular frame, substantially as shown and described.

3. ln a centrifugal swing, a rotatable baseplatform, an upwardly-projccting annular frame toward the outer edge thereof, said frame composed of a series of uprights, suitably braced and stayed together, swing elements suspended between the upper ends of the said upriehts, a central ball-bearing to support the central portion of the platform and maintain it in its axis of rotation and a series of rolling supports approximately under the upwardly-projecting annular frame substanti ally as shown and described.

4. In a centrifugal swing; a rotatable platform supported toward its center on a ballbearing which will support a portion of its weight and maintain it in its axis of rotation, an annular rolling support toward its outer edge and an upwardly-projecting frame approximately over the annular rolling support, such frame consisting of uprights inclined IOO IOS

IIS

outward at their upper ends and suitably braced and stayed together, swing elements suspended between the upper ends of the upriglits, suoli swing elements consisting of ropes from eaeh upright to the opposite ends of a bar suspended between there, aY ear suspended from the ends of said bari 5. in a centrifugal swing; the combination with a rotatable base-platform having a central ball-bearing designed to sustain the weight of the center portion of the platform and maintain it in its axis of rotation, of means for sustaining the weight of the platform toward its circumference, of an open framework ap roximately over this outer circumferential) support, such framework consisting of a series of masts stepped into the platform the upper ends of which masts are maintained in position by a series of strut members between the upper ends of the masts and cross-tied by wire-rope stays eX- tending from eeen mast to two masts on the opposite side of the circle, of a series of wirerope stays extending diagonali)T from toward the upper end of each mast to bands eneir- Cling the adjacent mast on each side and back to the base of each mast, of a series of stays between the masts at the point of attachment of the aforementioned diagonal stays, of

swing elements designed to suspend ears between each pair of masts, such swing elements comprising a cross-bar each end of wbieii is Connected by a wire rope to esuli of the masts between which it bung, and means for freely suspending a car to the ends of the suspended erossfbar.

ln a centrifugal swing; the combination with a rotatable base-platform, of a Central support designed to sustain the weight of the center portion of the platform and maintain it in its axis of rotation, means for sustaining the weight of the outer portion of the platform, an upwardly-extending open frameworlr, such open framework consisting of a series of masts stepped into the platform appronimateljir over the outer circumferential support of such, means for aording mutual support to the upper ends of the masts, such means comprising compression members between the upper ends of each pair of masts, and two wire-rope stays extending from the upper end of each mast to a similar position on masts on the opposite side of the circle, of

means for staying the masts against bending at the middle comprising Wire-rope stays extending diagon'allv from the u per end of the mast to the middle of the arlgacent mast on each side and thereafter back to the base of the mast, stays between the masts or about the mideenneetion of the diagonalVV staysV thereof, and Ymeans for suspending a' car between each pair of masts in a manner to allow it to ily freely outward as the platform is rotated.

7 in a centrifugal swing, a rotatable platform, an upwardly-projecting annular frame secured to said platform near the periphery thereof to rotate therewith, swing elements suspended from seid frame, and a supportforni, an upwardly-exten ding annular frame Yseoured to the platform near the periphery thereof, swing elements suspended from the up er portion of the frame, and an annular ro support for the platform arranged approximately under tlie base of tlie upwardlyprojecting annuler freine substantially as shown and described.

10. In a centrifugal swing, a rotatable platform, an upwardlycxtending annular frame secured to the platform near the pe riphery thereof, swing elements suspended from the upper portieri of the frame, and an annular rolling support for the platform arranged approximate-ly under the base of the upwardly-projecting annular frame," and a central antifriction-support for the platform, substantially ssasiiown and described,

In testimony whereof I have signed my neme to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RIHARD H. CASSWLL.

litnesses':

M. ONEIL, Y HARRIsoN G. PLATT. 

